I’m absolutely fascinated by Gregory Crewdson’s haunting look at suburbia. Each of his images has a sense of the nightmare of America while always managing to have a very vulnerable element to them. I think his style perfectly captures the spirits of films such as American Beauty and shows such as Six Feet Under. The greatest thing about Crewdson’s photos are how rich they are in detail, you can look at just about every single inch of the image and find something completely different about it. You can tell that there is an immense amount of work and dedication put into every single detail in the image and that is something which I am truly inspired by. For an artist to dedicate so much time and energy into their craft to make each image not just tell a 1,000 words but an entire novel is something that I think anyone can take from.

There has never been a musical or play that has ever impacted me in such a way that Next to Normal did. In three words IT GETS IT. It perfectly understand that deep, dark spot that some of us go to when it seems life gets too tough and you just cannot keep going. I sobbed during this musical like I never have before. The show is so silently brilliant, the songs so powerful yet calm in their delivery, there is really nothing like it. The show stars Alice Ripley who won the Tony Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Diana in the show. There is so much pain in her voice, so much desperation that you instantly are able to connect with her character. She has the type of multi-layered voices that can only be described as iconic.

The themes of which Next to Normal deals with are some of the darkest ever featured in a musical, it was so refreshing to see a play which did not hide from dark themes nor did it point a humorous picture of them. At times the show felt a little bit too real, almost painfully real. At times the audiences gasped aloud during various plot revelations. I think that it is the one thing which I love about live shows, how vocal the audiences reactions are at times. It is the one of the feelings that I think the theater will always survive, even in a movie theater, there is a feeling of connection that you get when you are watching a film or show in which you share the experience with all those around you. There is nothing like it!

The entire cast were clearly experts at their craft. I would have to say that just about every role in Next to Normal is difficult on an emotional, spiritual and overall musical level. It’s not easy to have to relive these moments every night that’s why I must commend every person in the cast for being able to make it seem as though its a new story each night before an entirely new audience. I’ve been thinking a lot lately what my favorite musical of all time has got to be, I use to be one of those people that said The Phantom of the Opera is the greatest show of all time but I feel as though musicals have been taking a different route lately. One in which they reflect reality and chronicle the everyday struggles of the average person. My favorite shows all contain these themes, In the Heights portrays the struggles of trying to make it in life, Next to Normal deals with trying to survive day to day and how hard it is to just find happiness. I would have to say though my all-time favorite show has got to be The Color Purple. It’s supremely powerful with its message of survival but it is also so entertaining. I’m fortunate to have been able to see all three of these shows this year. What the hell I’m gonna try and compile a list of my top 10 musicals.

10. Jersey Boys

9. Little Shop of Horros

8. Sweeney Todd

7. The Lion King

6. Wicked

5.  Phantom of the Opera

4. Avenue Q

3. Next to Normal

2. Into the Heights

1. The Color Purple

For anyone out there that is creative in any way whether you’re a painter, writer, director or all of the above then you must read this book. It perfectly captures the frustration, aggravation and anger that comes with the struggles of being an artist. There are so many times when I simply gives up on different projects I set my sites on because of all the voices in my head telling me to stop. This book tells you what those voices stem from and how to get past them. It deals with the concept of “resistance”, it’s the voice in our head that tells us to stop, the voice that says not to bother with the diet, the same one which tells you your too tired to go for a run, it’s the one thing that holds us all back from accomplishing our goals. Can you imagine what it would be like if you removed the concept of resistance from your mental vocabulary? There would be no concept of fear and you would be free to accomplish anything your heart and mind desires.

I’m going to try implementing many of the tools I learned from The War of Art and see how they come into play into my everyday life. One of the biggest things that I got from the book was the idea that the idea difference between an amateur and a professional is just showing up and doing the work. There will never be a right time to start your novel, there won’t even be the perfect time to quit smoking, the time is now so what are you waiting for? GO GO GO

Another important concept in the book is the idea of making creativity a regime of sorts, decide that you  are going to write or create for several hours each day. Come up with a schedule to be creative and force yourself to do it each and everyday. The more you do it, the easier it will become to be creative. I decided to start up my blog again as a way to just keep myself writing, each and every day and so far I’m happy with the results. I’ve now completed this blog and now I’m anxious to start another project. I can’t describe it but there is a momentum that you get from turning off the tv, logging off Facebook and just going with it. That momentum gets stronger and stronger the more you do it and soon that momentum becomes apart of your life. One can only be so lucky to have a constant momentum to create as apart of who they are and that’s exactly what I intend to get.

-N

These past few days have been absolutely unbelievably. I got to spend my New Years in the best possible way that I could image. I woke up on New Years Day where I took the metro to the Ahmanson Theater and met up with Chelsey. We waited to get Hot Tickets for that night’s performance of Next to Normal. We always have a blast when we go on our theater adventures, I always have this crazy vision that even when Chelsey and I are established in our careers making millions of dollars, we’re still going to be waiting outside theaters across the country to get the cheapest seats possible. We got to meet some interesting people in line and even were joined by Adam. At noon we got our tickets and the plan was set, we were going to be seeing Next to Normal, the single most depressing musical ever written to help usher in a new year. Can you think of a better possible thing to do?……….didn’t think so.

We headed back home after a pitstop at the sale at Urban Outfitters where I was able to pick up a few last minute presents. We had lunch at my place cooked up by my mama and exchanged a bunch of gifts. I think I had it the best out of Dave, Chelsey and I. They each made me a beautiful piece of artwork which I was touched by. Chelsey’s was a piece dedicated to our non-profit we’re trying to get going, The Angels of LA and Dave’s was a brilliant piece to commemorate the new year, Gaga-style. After lunch, we sprinted over to the Ahmanson where we saw Next to Normal. We had terrible balcony seats but that didn’t stop us from sneaking down to the $100 seats in the mezzanine. The sound was a bit off and there were a few technical difficulties but overall I was so happy to be able to see the show sitting with all those that I love. Alice Ripley absolutely murdered throughout the show, her voice is the 8th wonder of the world.

After the show we parked at Union Station and headed to Long Beach for the countdown. The blue line is always stressful because some pretty shady people frequent it, I kept my head buried in my book, The Art of War, I was successfully able to void any confrontation or awkward moments. We got off a few stops too early and had to walk a mile or two to the bay. We ate at a delicious pizza joint then headed down to the rocks along the show to watch the firework show. It was a very interesting group, two little french girls no older than 9 provided commentary throughout the whole show. It was adorable. There was a drunken group next to us in which a guy videotaped during the entire show, too bad he was pointing the camera in the wrong direction. After the show, we met up with my dad and took the blue line back to Union Station. I finished reading The War of Art which was inspiring to say the least.

While at Union Station, we got some snacks at Famima then hung out in the terminal. It’s gorgeous there, we got to all talk about our plans for the upcoming year. There was a wedding going on while we were there. What a romantic day to get hitched and quite a spectacular location if not slightly ghetto at the same time. A couple girls were robbed while we were there. Fun stuff. We headed to Pasadena at around 3am. I was wearing a total of 6 layers and it was still cold. We got to Pasadena to camp out for the Rose Parade. After walking a few miles, we find an amazing spot. I had no idea that hundreds of thousands of people camped out for the parade. Some people had big screen tvs with Play Station 3 hooked up to them, giant inflatable beds, heaters, grills, anything you can possibly think of. We had are thin fleeces blankets and folding chairs. Next year, we’ll be back with a vengeance. I can’t describe how much fun I had camping out, it was freezing cold but it was such an adventure. We had breakfast at this amazing little hole in the wall restaurant which was delicious, got some life changing guacamole from Ralphs and walked probably 6 miles to find both things. Before we knew it, the parade was starting and I got so giddy that Dave described it as seeing a kid on Christmas morning. A Christian kid presumably.

The parade was gorgeous, Paula Deen (the grand marshal) blew me a kiss and I said “I love you!” Jesus waved to Dave. I think Paula Deen was a bit more exciting. My favorite floats were the Pac-Man one which had Pac-Man cheerleaders and a Pac-Man marching bed, the float with surfing dogs, and the one with the giant carnival. It’s funny, we waited for the parade over night but a half hour before the parade there was a man who was there with his little daughter and elderly mother, they couldn’t see anything next to us so we ended up clearing up a bunch of space to let them sit along with us. Even had the elderly woman sit in our chairs. It felt good to help people, usually I’m so bitter when I wait hours and hours for something and people come at the last second and try to squeeze there way in. 2011: The Road to a Less Bitter and Cynical Noah.   After the parade we headed back to my place and all three of us INSTANTLY knocked out. We had Sizzler for dinner and thus concluded one of the best New Years celebrations I’ve ever had. Excited for this upcoming year!!!!

It hard to put into words what its like to be in the audience of a Yoko Ono concert. It’s an experience that I never thought I would have but fortunately, fate had a different plan for me last Saturday night. Yoko Ono is not a great singer, she never has been and I do not think that she ever actually planned to be one. She is instead a captivating and brilliant performance artist, she is also one hell of a songwriter. As she performed Saturday night, her shrieks of horror, her guttural rage connect to you on a level that a beautiful aria could never reach. There is a level of pain which is inherit in Ono’s voice. Much of her music recounts the mourning and celebration of John Lennon. Another thing which I find incredibly captivating about her performance style is her incorporation of different forms of media and art installations. Upon arriving to the theater, everyone was issued a flashlight which later became part of Ono’s iconic way of saying “I…..love….you!”

The second act of the concert was even better than the first. After a brief intermission, suddenly a well dressed, nice groomed man snuck out from behind the curtain. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Joseph Gordon-Levitt who gave a dazzling performance. Hip hop genius RZA appeared on stage playing a silent game of chess which must have last 5 minutes, he then gave a heart felt performance. The biggest surprise of the night came from the Oakland-based group The Tune Yard whose performance who absolutely wowed the audience.

As the stage emptied, the curtains closed and the audience left wanting more. An energy filled the air that had not been felt the entire concert. There was something much grander that was about to occur, an event that the majority of the audience had been waiting for. A slow chant began, “Gaga…Gaga..Gaga.” One excited fan even began screaming “Gaga Ono.” With one word which emerged from behind the curtain from the pop star, the entire audience sprang to their feet. “Now that I have you on your feet little monster, make some noise for Yoko Ono.” As the curtain open to reveal Lady Gaga standing side by side with the legendary Yoko Ono, the crowd went absolutely wild. Gaga went on the perform two songs which Ono which showcased her voice more so than probably any other song in her catalog. She went all out. I can’t describe the energy you feel during a Lady Gaga concert, the intense anticipation that you get waiting for her to take the stage and the sudden rush of emotions that you get when you see her take the stage. It is one of those things that just sounds outrageous if you have not experienced it. But it happened yet again. I got weak in the knees, light-headed, my eyes filled with tears etc..etc.. Gaga has created a sense of personal connection with her fans that I would argue few artists have ever done before. Maybe perhaps not since John Lennon.

After two amazing songs. Gaga left the stage only to return moments later with all the other outstanding musicians who had performed. They took the stage for one of the most surreal moments of my life. A brand new updated version of the classic “Give Peace a Chance.” There was a connection felt by the audience that night which will last a lifetime. To be in a room holding hand in hand with complete strangers, singing, hoping and praying for peace. Well there’s nothing else quite like it.